30 Tricky interview questions; And recommended answers (II)
A job interview can be a very daunting task, especially when you’re unprepared for it. In part one, we shared 10 interview questions that the respondent is likely to encounter with some difficulty. Part two shares the next batch of 10 questions and provides probable answers.
11. Where do you see yourself in five years time?
As a general rule, avoid an answer such as “sitting in your position!” Whereas you may have designs for the top job in future, most interviewers would not appreciate the seeming comparison or the idea that you are a potential threat to their job. Your best bet is, therefore, to try and answer the question positively but not too arrogantly. You could for instance say, “I have always been very career minded and ambitious. I would like to keep progressing up the career ladder. I am confident that as I add value to this organisation, I will be given the opportunity to realise my aspirations.” There are rare exceptions such as the case of Mr Ishmael Yamson who told the interview panel at Unilever that he aspired to be the chief executive in 20 years and went on to achieve exactly that.
12. What would your work colleagues or friends say about you?
This question provides another opportunity for you to demonstrate that you are easy to get on with, a team player and a generally sociable person who works well with other people. You could say, “They are most likely to describe me as an organised and dependable person; a team player who is always willing to offer my assistance to colleagues where needed.” Don’t go overboard with exaggeration. Be honest and avoid projecting yourself as something you are not.
13. What interests do you have outside of your work?
This is a commonly recurring question often posed by interviewers to try and ascertain what you are like outside of your working environment. If you don’t like football, don’t say that you do. Just provide honest answers. There is nothing worse than saying you follow a subject you know next to nothing about. An interviewer who is mad about the same subject could start asking you questions you can’t answer. You could easily look like a fool and your integrity could suddenly come under scrutiny! A smooth sailing interview can suddenly take a nosedive when negative attributes such as dishonesty begin to surface.
14. What type of books or publications do you read?
This question is similar to the last one. If you have recently read an interesting article about the industry in question, you may refer to it. However, don't try to impress the panel by saying you’ve read “Trends in Service Marketing” when you haven’t. Once again, imagine what would happen if it is the favourite book of one of them and they ask you a simple question about it. If you have read Dan Brown’s latest book or Colin Powell’s autobiography, tell the employer what you enjoyed about it. If your schedule does not allow you to read and you therefore tend to rely on audio books while you drive, mentioning it could be a positive factor for you.
15. You seem to have a history of spending short periods in all your former workplaces. Why do you keep moving?
This is another likely and tricky question if your CV reveals a history of short engagements. If any of your previous employments have been for a short period of time, you need to provide an answer that will assure the interviewer that you will not repeat it when hired. Find credible ways to tie your previous movements to important considerations to avoid creating the impression of being unstable. Concerning your current workplace, you could for example say, “I have had a great experience there, learnt a lot and connected with a bunch of truly incredible people. However, I have developed a passion for an aspect of the insurance business that my current employer does not deal in. I am, therefore, hopeful that I can explore those opportunities with your organisation and add value to my life in the process.”
16. Describe your relationship with your current boss.
Remember that the man or woman sitting in the chair opposite you could well be your future boss. Provide an answer that would reflect how you would actually like them to think about you. So perhaps you can say something like “I have an excellent working relationship with my boss based on mutual respect. I see my boss as an important mentor and career coach while she probably considers me as hardworking, loyal and able to work well using my own initiative. She keeps entrusting significant responsibilities to me because she trusts that I will flawlessly execute them.” Having said that, do not exaggerate if you had a really turbulent relationship with your boss. If things were not too good, let your answer focus on what you were able to achieve together.
17. If you were starting out again in your career, are there any decisions you would make differently?
Since no one can really turn back the clock of time, one may assume that this question should not even come up. However, it is one that interviewers pose to see if you live in the past and focus too much on your mistakes and disappointments. You could therefore say, “While I may not be perfectly happy with all the decisions I have made in my career, I have benefited greatly from the lessons learnt and I am a better person as a result.” Alternatively you could say, “With the benefit of hindsight, there are a number of things I could have done differently. I would definitely have shown more appreciation to the strict supervisors I had in the formative stages of my career. I have a much better understanding now of the lessons they were trying to impart to me.”
18. Don't you think you are overqualified for this job?
Expect to be asked this question if you have considerably more than the minimum requirement for the job. You must prepare an appropriate answer to this question if you hold a Master’s degree and are applying for a job in which the advert specified a diploma or first degree. An interviewer does not want to give you the job because you are desperate. No future employer wants to give you a chance if you are likely to get bored in a few months and start looking elsewhere again. This is a difficult question to answer but you need to assure the interviewer that the job profile fits your area of interest and that you are patient and confident that given the chance you would excel and rapidly rise up the ladder in the organisation.
19. How do you feel about carrying out mundane or repetitive work?
Nearly every job carries an element of routine to it so this could be another “difficult” question. Some people easily get bored with doing the same thing over and over again and would not be suitable for jobs like data entry or research, which naturally tend to be mundane or repetitive. Such jobs require concentration and tend to suit meticulous people who are inclined towards paying great attention to detail. When asked, you could give an answer such as “I understand that all jobs have some element of repetitiveness and I take all aspects of my job seriously regardless of whether they are mundane or not. I always give 100 per cent in whatever I do and I try to organize myself to ensure that I am effective at all times.”
20. What motivates you?
Your interviewer is not looking for an answer along the lines of benefits and salaries. While that may be what most of us really want, your first line answer must project a more holistic outlook. You could say, “I enjoy the prospect of managing a challenging project from inception to completion. Every bit of success at any stage serves as a source of satisfaction for me. I keep driving myself in the knowledge that completion will lead to organisational progress and ultimately personal promotion and reward.” GB
To be continued.
• Albert & Comfort Ocran are management consultants, executive coaches and authors of several personal development books including the bestseller, “Career Starter Pack” and the latest “Speak Like A Pro.” E-mail: albert@legacyandlegacy.com.gh or comfort@legacyandlegacy.com.gh.